Archives for December 31, 2017

According to the calendar we all use, the year 2017 has ended and the year 2018 has dawned. When a year ends and a new year begins, many wish each other happy ‘New Year’; send New Year cards. Despite this custom has been going on for ages, the past years have not been auspicious for a large majority of our society. This is the truth.
The people in our country step to the new year carrying with them old crises and a number of challenges. The economy of the country has gravely deteriorated. The country is burdened with debt while the masses are fatigued with the burden of taxes and the cost of living. How can such a year be auspicious? The country has deteriorated socially. Fraud, corruption, thieving and waste have spread from top to the bottom of the society. Sri Lanka is ranked fourth in the latest Impunity Index after Somalia, Iraq and the Philippines. Now, would the new year become auspicious when wished with hollow words? This is the factor we all should ponder in the New Year.
However, there is a path before us to make the new year auspicious. It is by getting out of the futile political path we have been following and resolving to enter a new political journey. We firmly believe that the new year, as well as the future of our people and the country, would be definitely auspicious if the masses in this country are capable of taking a new political decision in the new year. For this, we should be bold enough to look at the society anew and take decisions with new ideas and attitudes after casting away old ideologies and attitudes.
Just as we remove the old calendar to replace it with a new calendar, the old political decisions, old doctrines, attitudes should be abandoned to go on a new journey. This new year begins with an invaluable opportunity for such a change. It could be the beginning of a new era.
We wish all Sri Lankans, who are getting prepared to cast aside everything antiquated and futile so that they would think anew to take new decisions, courage and strength and a genuinely auspicious New Year.

2018 dawns on us as we recall the victory won in restoring political and social values, in
realising a dream long cherished by the people of this country.
It reminds us that we still have a task ahead – that of consolidating the true meaning of that
victory.
When we established the Government of Good Governance, the country was facing a time
of social, economic and political decline.
Amidst great challenges, we were able to steer forward in restoring economic stability and a
process of sustainable development.
We have been successful in presenting Sri Lanka to the world as a country that respects and
recognises human dignity, one in which all have access to social and political freedom.
A country that abides by the principles of good governance. In the process, we have been
able to generate a greater sense of goodwill among the international community towards
Sri Lanka.
We take this opportunity to thank everyone who accompanied us on the journey of
emerging as a country with the highest regard for the principles of democracy and ethics. It
is my most sincere hope that you would continue to be with us as we go forward.
May 2018 be a year of hope and courage for all.

All political parties in Dambulla District contesting the local government election have been informed to remove the photographs of the candidates displayed in party offices and candidates’ offices within three days.
According to reports, ASP Gamini Meegahakumbura has made the announcement today (31st).
He has said failure to remove the photographs could be considered as a violation of the election law.

The final report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry investigating into the Treasury Bond issue was handed over to President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday (30th).
The President appointed the Commission to inquire into the bond issues that took place during the 2015 – 2016 period on 27th January 2017 with Supreme Court Judge K.T. Chithrasiri as its chairman.
Despite appointing the Commission only for three months its affairs could not be completed and the mandate period of the Treasury Bond Commission was extended until December 31 on December 7, 2017.
It is reported that the President is scheduled to hand over the Commission report to the Attorney General’s Department.

There is no shortage of fertilizer in the island, it is an artificially created issue and it is being created by All Ceylon Farmers’ Federation complained authorities of government’s fertilizer companies at a press conference held by them on the 29th.
They said, “We have the fertilizer with us. The shortage is an artificially created issue. It is created by an organization called All Ceylon Farmers’ Federation. Mr. Namal Karunaratna in this organization comes out with an issue whenever he has nothing else to do.”
The National Organizer of All Ceylon Farmers’ Federation Namal Karunaratna and its General Secretary T.B. Sarath told media challenged the authorities of fertilizer companies who waste their time in air-conditioned rooms and saying there is no fertilizer shortage in eh country to shed their western suits and get down to the farmlands to find out whether there is a real shortage of fertilizer in the country.
Messrs. Karunaratna and Sarath asked authorities of government fertilizer companies to take immediate measures to find a solution for the fertilizer issue without stooping to the government.